light." This seems to be a dispersion of the darkness, and asserts the power of God in its dispersion. On the first day the air was cleared, and the clouds and vapor were arranged in the glorious order which now appears.

On the second day the waters were divided, and the dry land appeared. In some parts it was depressed, in others it rose to the mountain's height. In the depressions are found the ocean's bed. In the elevations, the mountains and accompanying plains.

It will not be presumptive to inquire what may have been the agent employed in this work of such amazing grandeur? Probably steam formed in the earth by water and heat, by its immense expansive powers, raising upwards the superincumbent mass of rocks and mud, of clay or sand.

When the dry land appeared, God immediately planted it by the word of his power. Grass, herbs, fruit-trees, and each having the wonderful power of production in itself. Here is the subject of botanical study. The earth now appeared covered with trees, the field clothed with grass, the flower gave beauty, the fruits gave richness to the noble work.

On the fourth day God arranged the order of the times and seasons, perhaps regulated the orbit, fixed the daily rotation, and pointed the poles. Thus he ordered the length of days and nights. The sun in his glory appeared to rule the day, the moon to rule the night. Distinct offices are assigned them, and they execute them to this day. The information seems incidentally given," the stars also." As this was of no particular or immediate use, it was left for man to study or investigate.

On the fifth day the creation of living organized beings commenced in the waters and the air, each endowed with the wonderful power of propagating his species, and God appointed them to immense fruitfulness.

On the sixth day everything was ready for the reception of creeping things, beasts, and especially cattle, which are folded animals, and immediately for the use of man.

Last of all, on this day God created man, in his own image and likeness. Not only a very general resemblance, as an image might imply, but a likeness. Now this is not in his bodily appearance or form, but in his intellectual, moral, and spiritual parts. He created them male and female, and thus qualified them to

increase and multiply their species. And now the fair and lovely works of creation lay before God, and by that wise, good, and glorious being, were pronounced "good," every way suited to produce happiness, comfort, and enjoyment in the best possible way, to the creatures he had made, and placed everywhere upon the beautiful earth.

CHAPTER III.

THERE are a variety of questions in relation to this matter, which deserve consideration.

1. Does it really appear that the earth, in its present state, is about six thousand years old? This is an inquiry of importance. The earth, which was modified according to the Mosaic account, was for the express purpose of being fitted for a residence for man. The whole of the continents may have been formed at the same time, and were soon filled with inhabitants, and the ocean with living creatures suited to the element in which they were placed.

Man and such animals, especially those called cattle, created for his use, were made and placed somewhere in a fine delightful region, near the upper parts of the Tigris and the Euphrates. This event was subsequent to the great changes, previous to the Mosaic history, and the commencement of a new order of things.

I. Because no remains of man in a fossil state have been found among the vast number of bones of the horse, ox, deer, &c., which have been discovered. No human bones have appeared in the morasses or caves. It is inconceivable, if man had an existence at this time, that there should be no remains or vestige found as an evidence of the fact. The skeleton found in the limestone in Guadeloupe is the single exception, but the whole appearance, and the very recent formation, shows it to be of a much later date, and by no means retiring into the remote ages of the fossil remains in the old world. This argument shows a posteriority to all older organized bodies.

II. Because when we examine the records of men, we find them of comparatively recent date; and evidently giving to man a recent origin. The whole of these are fabulous, inconsistent, and improbable, and only prove a general tradition that man had been created at no very great length of time previously. Moses alone gives an exact account of the transaction. Moses names the individuals, from Adam downwards. The number of persons, between Adam and the present generation, are